Variable speed transmission



y 1940' R. s. JACOBSEN VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Original Fil ed me 4,1936 N VEN TOR. acolzserz rsi nred mi'za, 194c- VARIABLE srsnnTRANSMISSION Richard S. Jacobson, Wheaton, 111., assignor to ReevesPulley com any. Columbus,lnd., a-cor-.

poration of Indiana Original application June 4, '1936, Serial No.-83,409. Divided and this application August 10, 1938, Serial No.224,006

18 Claims.

This invention relates tovariable speed power transmission devices, andmore especially to those. that employ laterally expansible V-pulleys andbelts, so that the pulley in eifect has its diameter changed or variedto change the speed of trans: mission. I

Generally stated, the. object of theinvention is to provide a novel andimproved construction and arrangement whereby any suitable machine isoperated by amotor through the medium of. a counter-shaft, with only asingle expansiblc pulley on the counter-shaft, the other pulley on thelatter being fixed, in combination with means for moving thecounter-shaft laterally and endwiseas well, thereby to not only changethe speed of transmission, but also to maintain the belts parallel.

It is also an object to provide certain details and novel featuresofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the general efllciencyand the desirability of a variable speed power transmission of thisparticular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists inmatters hereinafter set forth a and claimed and shown in theaccompanying drawing,, in which- Fig. l is a plan of a'variable speedpower transthe medium'of a counter-shaft, embodying the principles ofthe invention. 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged verticallongitudinal section on line 2-2 in Fig; 1of the drawing. Fig. '3 is an enlarged end elevation on the line 8-3 inFig. 1 of the drawing. Y

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectionon line 4-4 in Fig. 1ofthe-drawingA 1 As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a motor Iand a machine 2 to be driven thereby. The spindle or shaft of said motorhas a laterally expansible V-pulley 3 mounted thereon, with the movablesection thereof subject to the pressure -of the coil spring 4, whichlatter tends to contract the pulley. The machine 2 may be of anysuitable or desired character and has its shaft or 'spindleprovided witha flxed pulley 5 of any suit- P able character. The counter-shaft 6 ismounted to rotate -in bearings 1 and l, which are in turn mounted on theupper ends of links 9 that have their lower ends pivoted orswivelled onthe sleeves 10 that are made fast to the horizontal rock shaft II,.which latter is adapted to'be rocked in the bearings I2' and I3; fixedon the base l4, as shown in the drawing. -A spring I! is applied to the.links adiacent the bearing 1, to urge the counter- I shaft 6 endwise inone direction, but the fixed cam IG, mounted on thebracket ll, engagingone of the links 9, tends to urge the counter shaft endwise in theopposite direction, when .the said shaft is moved laterally by rockingthesaid rock shaft. For this purpose, the said rock shaft is providedwith a handle it fixed in one end of the rock shaft, and the bracket I1is pro-- vided with asegment slot I8 for the screw device 20, carried bythe handle, so that the latter can be set in any adjusted positionthereof.

' It will; be seen that the- V-pulley'2l is nonexpansible and is fixedon the said counter-shaft. The other pulley 22 has a movable section 23that is splined on the said counter-shaft, so that these two sectionscan be moved toward or away from eachother, thereby in effect tochange-the diameter of the pulley. A coil spring 24 is interposedbetween the pulley 2i and the section 23,

.so that the latter is normally urged bythe spring toward the fixedsectidn ofthis pulley.v

Thus, the-counter-shaft 6 is adapted to move endwise about a pluralityof axes at right angles thereto, which axes are provided by the pivotsatthe upper and lower ends of thelinks 9, and

the,.. .-said counter-shaft is also adapted to move in the arc of acircle, the axis of which is co- Inission between a motor and a machine,through. incident with the axis of the rock shaft H; so

that said counter-shaft has a lateral arcuate path a of displacementwhen moved back and forth by the handle l8, and also has some endwisemovement because of the engagement of the cam l6 with one of the links9, in the manner shown and described. The lateral movement of the;

.shaft 8 in one direction tends to expand the 4 pulleys Land '22 and 23,laterally, thus in effect reducing the diameter of these two pulleys,and

' changing the speed of transmission accordingly.

When the countersshaft 6 is moved in the opposite direction,'the twoexpansible pulleys are permitted to contract, under the urging of thesprings 4 and 24, thus again changing the speed of transmission.Obviously, therefore, any speed may be had between. the two positionsshown for the handle it in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

.Any suitable means can be provided for pre-.

venting endwise displacement of the counter-shaft 6 in the bearings] and8,, and these bearings must move axially with the shaft, when the latteris moved forward and back laterally thereof.

Obviously, with this arrangement, when the counter-shaft 6 moves awayfrom the motor driven or power input shaft, there must be some endwisedisplacement of this countershaft to the left, in order tokeep' thebelts'parallel and to maintain pulley alignment. Similarly, when thecounter-shaft 6 moves toward the said input shaft, the counter-shaftmust then be displaced endwise to the right, in order to keep the beltsparallel and maintain pulley alignment. Thus the belt that is shownconnecting'the countershaft to the output shaft driving the machine tobe operated is maintained in a fixed vertical plane. The belt that isshown connecting the said power input shaft to the counter-shaft isalways parallel with the other belt, but this belt that is driven by themotor, it will be seen, has lateral displacement bodily, to-maintainpulley alignment as between the motor shaft and the counter-shaf. Thusthe spring l and the cam l6 must be applied accordingly, so that thecounter-shaft will have the endwise displacement, relative to the inputand output shafts, in

the manner shown and described.

- Thus, a very simple set-up is provided, involving expansible V-pulleysand V-belts, for changing the speed of transmission, and the cost ofeonstruction' and installment is comparatively What I claim as myinvention is:

1. A variable speed drive vcomprisinga motor having a spindle, a firstV-pulley of variable diameter onsaid spindle having a coned disc fixedon said spindle, a mating disc axially shiftable with respect thereto,and means resiliently urging said mating disc toward said fixed disc,

an output shaft, a fixed-diameter pulley secured thereto, acountershaft, means supporting said countershaft parallel to said motorspindle and output shaft for movement away from both motor spindle andoutput shaft or toward both motor spindle and output shaft, a secondfixed-diameter pulley secured to said countershaft opposite saidV-pulley, aV-belt providing a driving connectionbetween said -pulley andsaid second fixeddiameter pulley, a second V-pulley of variable diametermounted on said countershaft opposite aid first fixed-diameter pulleyand having a coned disc fixed to saidcountershaft, a mating disc asecond V-pulley of fixed diameter secured thereaxially shiftable withrespect thereto, and means resiliently urging said mating disc towardsaid fixeddisc, a V-belt providing a driving connection between saidfirst fixed-diameter pulley and said second V-pulley, said supportingmeans ineluding a base, a carrier rotatably mounting said countershaft,means on; said base guiding said carrier whereby the axis of saidcountershaft is moved simultaneously transversely and parallel to theaxes of said motor spindle and said output shaft to maintain beltalignment during relative axial movement between said belts and the,fixed discs consequent upon radial movement of said belts over theconedfaces of said fixed discs and to change the speed ratio, and meanscooperating with said base for actuating said carrier.

2. A variable speed drive comprisingv a motor having a spindle; a firstV-pulley of variable diameter on saidspindle having a' coned disc fixedon said spindle, a mating disc axially shiftable with respect thereto,and means resiliently urging s'aidmating disc toward said fixed disc, anoutput shaft aligned with said motor s'pindle,

to, a countershaft, means supporting said co'untershaft parallel to saidmotor spindle and output shaft, a third V-pulley of fixed diametersecured to said countershaft opposite said first-V-pulley, a V-beltproviding a driving connection between 'said first and third pulleys, afourth V,-p

ey of variable diameter mounted on said countershaft opposite saidsecond pulley and having a coned disc fixed to said countershaft, amating disc axially shiftable withrespect thereto and means resilientlyurging said last-mentioned mating disc toward said fixed disc, a V-beltproviding a driv- ,5 ing connection between said second and fourthpulleys, said supporting means including a base,- a carrier rotatablymounting said countershaft, means on said base guiding said carrierwhereby the axis of the countershaft is moved simultaneousl transverselyand parallel to the axes ofsaid motor spindle and said output shaft tomaintain belt alignment during relative axial movement between saidbelts and the fixed discs consequent uponmovement thereof over the conedfaces of said fixed discs and to change the speed ratio, and meanscooperating with said base for actuating said carrier.

3. A variable speed drive comprising a motor having a spindle, a firstV-pulley of variable diameter on said spindle having a coned disc fixedon said spindle, a mating disc slidably keyed on said spindle and meansresiliently urging the mating disc towards said fixed disc, an outputshaft aligned with said motor spindle, a second v-pulley of fixeddiameter secured thereto, a

countershaft, means supporting the latter parallel to said motor spindleand output shaft, a third V-pulley of fixed diameter secured to saidcountershaft opposite said first pulley, a V-belt connecting said. firstand third pulleys, a fourth V-pulley of variable diameter mounted onsaid countershaft opposite said second pulley and hav'-' ing a coneddisc fixed to said countershaft, a mating disc slidably keyed to saidcountershaft and means resiliently urging said last mentioned matingdisc towards the fixed disc, a V-belt connecting said second and fourthpulleys, said supporting means including a base, a carrier rotatablymounting said countershaft, means on said base guiding said carrierwhereby the axis of the countershaft is moved simultaneouslytransversely and parallel to the axes of said motor spindle and saidoutput shaft to maintain belt alignment during relative axial movementbetween said belts and the fixed discs consequent upon movement thereofover the coned faces of said fixed discs and to change the speed ratio,and means cooperating with said base for actuating said carrier.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1,- in which. said'carriercomprises a rock shaft upon which said countershaft is mounted to shiftendwise.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said carrier comprisesa link supporting the countershaft and a cam engaging said link to shiftthe countershaft endwise.

6.". A structure as specified in claim 1, in'whieh said carriercomprises a rock shaft with bearings on said base, links pivotallysupported on said rock shaft, and pivots on the upper ends of said linksto support said countershaft. v

7.- A structure as specified in claim 1, in which 7 said carriercomprises a rock shaft and a handle for manually rocking the same toshift said countershaft laterally. L

8 A structure as specified in claim 1, in which said guiding meanscomprises a spring urging said countershaft endwise in one direction,and a camurging'the countershaft endwise in the opposite direction. v

9. In' a variable speed transmission, the com-, bination of a powerinput shaft, an output shaft, a sectionalpulley of variable efi'ectivediameter on the-input shaft, a pulley of .fixed diameter on the outputshaft, a'countershaft parallel with 75 said other shafts, the latterbeing atone and the same side ofsaid countershaft, a sectional pulley ofvariable effective diameter on the coun- .tershaft, a pulley of fixeddiameter on the countershaft, a belt connecting the first mentionedsectional pulley with said last mentioned fixed diameter pulley, a beltconnecting said other two pulleys, and mechanism for moving saidcountershaft toward and away from said other shafts,

to change the effective diameters of the two sectional pulleys, havingprovisions for displacing said countershaft endwise relative to saidother shafts to keep said belts parallel and mainta pulley alignment.

10. A structure as specified in claim 9, having a compression spring onthe input shaft for the first mentioned sectional pulley, and a similarspring on the countershaft for saidother sectional pulley.

11-. A structure as specified in claim 9, the input and output shaftsbeing axially aligned. 12. Variable speed drive means comprising aninput shaft having a pulley thereon, an output shaft having a pulleythereon, two V-belts traveling respectively about said input-shaftpulley and said output-shaft pulley, a countershaft substan-,

tially parallel with said input and output shafts,

two pulleys mounted on said countershaft, said belts travelingrespectively over said last-named pulleys, two of the four recitedpulleys consistingof relatively shiftable pairs of mating coned discsand at least one of said'dlscs being'axially fixed, and means forsimultaneously increasing the center distances between said countershafton the one hand and said'input and output. shafts on the-other hand, andfor, simultaneously decreasing such center distances.

13. Variable speed drive means comprising an input shaft having a pulleythereon, an output shaft having a pulley thereon, two V-belts travel-,'

I mg respectively about said input-shaft pulley and simultaneouslydecreasing such center distances while positively shifting axiallycertain pulley elements including at least one non-expansible pulley tomaintain proper alignment of both of said belts duringeither type ofvariation of such center distances.

14. Variable speed drive means comp 'ing a supported input pulley, asupported output pulley,

one of said pulleys 'consisting of a pair of mating coned discsrelatively axially movable to vary the effective diameter thereof, asupported third pulley, a V-belt traveling over said input pulley andsaid third pulley, a supported fourth pulley, means for driving saidfourth pulley from said third pulley, a V-belt traveling over saidfourth 'puliey and said output pulley, one of said third and fourthpulleys consisting of a pair of mating.

, coned discs relatively axially-movable, and means for simultaneouslyincreasing 'or simultaneously decreasing the center distances between.the pulleys joined by said belts, at least one of said discs 'beingaxially fixed.

15. Variable speed drive means comprising a supported input pulley, asupported output pulley, one of said pulleys consisting of a pair ofmating coned discs relatively axially movable to vary the effectivediameter thereof, a supported third pully, a V-belt traveling over saidinput pulley and said third pulley, a supported fourth pulley, means fordriving said fourth pulley from said third pulley, a V-belt travelingover said fourthpulley and said output pulley, one of said third andfourth pulleys consisting of a pair of mating coned discs relativelyaxially movable, and means for simultaneously increasing orsimultaneously decreasing the center distances between the pulleysjoined by said belts, while maintaining alignment of said respectivebelts, at least one of said discs being axially fixed.

16. Variable speed drive means comprising a supported input pulley, asupported output pulley, oneonly of said pulleys consistingof a pair ofsupported pulleys, one only of said last-named pulleys consisting of apair of mating coned discs relatively axially movable to vary theeife'ctive diameter thereof, means providing a driving connectionbetween said last-named pulleys, belts connecting the first-mentionedexpansible pulley with the second-mentioned non-expansible pulleyandconnecting the first-mentioned non-expansimating cone'ddiscsrelatively axially movable to vvary the efiective diameter thereof, twofurther ble pulley with the second-mentioned expansible .pulley, andmeans for simultaneously increasing or simultaneously decreasing thecenter distance between the pulleys joined by said belts to vary theeffective diameters of said expansible pulleys,

.at least one of said discs being axially fixed.

17. Variable speed drive means comprising an input shaft, avariable-diameter pulley mounted thereon, an output shaft, aconstant-diameter pulley mounted thereon, a countershaft, a.constant-diameter pulley mounted on said countershaft, a belt providinga driving connection between said variable-diameter pulley and theconsimultaneously shifting said countershaft axially.

' '18. Variable speed drive means comprising an input shaft, an outputshaft, a first variablediameter pulley on one of said shafts, a firstconstant-diameter pulley on the other of said shafts, a countershaft, asecond variable-diameter pulley on said countershaft, a secondconstant-diameter pulley on said countershaft, a belt providing adriving connection between said first constant diameter pulley and saidsecond variable-diameter pulley, a belt providing 'a driving connectionbetween said firstvariable-diameter .pulleyand said constant-diameterpulley, and

means for shifting said'countersha'ft toward said input and outputshafts or away from said input and output shafts whilesimultaneously-shifting said countershaft axially.

mcrmnn s; JACOBSEN'.

